Kirra Surfriders wins 2008 Rip Curl Kirra Teams Challenge
2007 and early 2008 are two periods in the history of the Kirra Surfriders Club the club will never forget.
Firstly with long time club stalwart Mick Fanning being crowned 07 ASP World Surfing champion not since 1999 when Occy was the last Australian to bring home an ASP World title.
Eight years later Mick achieved his ultimate goal not before overcoming enormous odds to bounce back from a horrific injury sustained whilst on a surf trip in Indo several years ago.
Mick is as Kirra as a Four ‘n’ Twenty pie and sauce at a footy game and with the go ahead from the ASP for CT surfers to compete in the 24th running of the Rip Curl Kirra Teams Challenge was no way going to hold Mick back from surfing in the event for his beloved club Kirra.
In 2008, thirty (240 immediate surfers) of Australia’s best boardriding clubs took up the challenge as to who would take home the title as Australia’s best boardriding club.
2007 saw Le-Ba (Lennox Ballina) do it in style with an historic seven wins and one x 3rd placing. Never ever before being achieved and in doing so set the benchmark for future challenges.
The concept of the event is that each club fields a team of eight surfers being made up of two juniors (20yrs and under) and six open surfers. (any age). Surfers compete once over the three days of competition and points are awarded according to their heat placing’s – 1st 4pts, 2nd 3pts, 3rd 2pts and 4th 1 point, these points awarded are tallied at the end of the event to determine the overall winner. If there is a tie in the points, it is then determined on the number of firsts, seconds, thirds and fourths.
Day one of competition held at Duranbah, competitors were greeted with perfect one metre waves, light offshore wind and blue skies. Start of the competition commencing with two rounds of the juniors taking to the water then followed by the first round of the opens.
Boy did the juniors take it to town displaying an aggressive attack with total commitment and style.
Special mention to the following junior surfers:
Curtis Champion (Boomerang), Jack Freestone (Kirra), Tonino Benton (Burleigh), Ryan Woodbine (Wind an Sea), John “Bear” Cummings (Snapper), Michael Levitt (Alley), Kane Powell (Palm Beach), Sam Turner (North Shore), Danny Sheather (Dee Why), Jarrad White (Kingscliff), Tom Salveson (Werri Beach), Damien Chaudoy (Kirra), Luke Shreader (Le-Ba), Brendan Leckie (Alley), Blake Ainsworth (Snapper), Tom Stubbs (North Shore).
Wrapping up day one of competition for the juniors saw Damien Chaudoy (Kirra) score a perfect 10, along with Jack Freestone both notching up wins for Kirra. John ‘Bear’ Cummings (Snapper) did his club proud by blitzing his heat with two nine point plus rides as did Brendan Leckie and Michael Levitt see both surfers win for the Alley.
Late in the afternoon saw the open surfers hit the water with very strong commanding heat wins recorded by CT surfer Adrian Buchan (Avoca), XCT surfer Josh Kerr (Snapper) and Samba Mann (Alley).
Nothing was more commanding than what was witnessed in the second last heat of the day.
World Champ Mick Fanning (Kirra) was unleashed against, Josh Douthwaite (North End), fellow WCT surfer Jay ‘Bottle’ Thompson (Burleigh) and old sparring partner Jock Barnes (Le-Ba).
All three surfers had heat scores that would have won most other heats on the day but Mick racked up a whopping 19.60 out of 20 to take the heat convincingly.
At the end of day one saw the Kirra Surfriders and the Alley Boardriders both sitting on three heat wins. Right on their heels were Snapper, North Shore, Dee Why, Point Lookout and Curl Curl.
Day two surfers were greeted with a mirror image of Friday’s conditions.
With the battle lines drawn, surfing during the course of the day was nothing short of exceptional with upsets a plenty.
Andrew Peard (Curl Curl) defeating Australian 07 Pro Junior Champion Mitch Coleborn (North Shore). In a see-sawing battle, saw Clint Kimmins (Snapper) up against XCT surfer Troy Brooks (Alley) with the lead changing many times during the heat until Clint gained the upper hand defeating Troy, 15.66 to 15.17.
Good wins were also notched up by Paul Fisher (Burleigh), Joe Haddon (Boomerang), Dale Lovelock (North Shore) Justin Lee (Catherine Hill), James Wood (Le-Ba), Alex Chacon (North Avalon), Clancy Dawson (Kirra), Dane Atcheson (Avoca), Adam Melling (Le-Ba), Shaun Gossman (Snapper), Shane Carroll (North Avalon), Beau ‘Nitro’ Walker (Byron Bay), XCT Nathan Webster (North Narrabeen), Blake Wilson (North Shore), Christian McAall (Catherine Hill), Brent Power (Avoca), Damon Nichols (North End), Bobby Hansen (Curl Curl), Jay Quinn (North Avalon) and Nathan Bartlett (Kirra).
Last heat of the day saw a blockbuster with CT surfer Danny Wills (Byron Bay) up against QS surfers Leigh Sedley (North Shore), Luke Dorrington (Snapper) and Steven Walsh (Le-Ba), opening proceedings Danny locked in a 7.17 and 5.53 totalling 12.70. Leigh’s opening ride was a 5.50 and it wasn’t until almost the end of the heat Leigh smashed an 8.83 ride totalling 13.83 to take the heat by 1.13 with Luke finishing 3rd and Walshy 4th.
At the end of the day, Kirra and North Shore were level pegging with five wins and one x 2nd (23 points) hotly being contested by Snapper with four wins, one x 2nd, one x 3rd, Alley with three wins and three x 2nds (21 points). Then Avoca with three wins one x 2nd and two x 3rds, Curl Curl two wins, three x 2nds and one x 3rd (19 points).
With the last and final day of competition to be held, it was anybody’s guess at this point as to who would be crowned winner. Any slight upset in the game plan for the six leading clubs would mean disaster and a lost chance at the title for 2008.
First heat in the water and a critical one for the Alley saw Mark Richardson win, defeating Ben Lowe (Coolum) and Anthony Pols (MNM). The Alley was starting to creep closer. With the next important heat for the North Shore club was to rest with Jamie Thompson against seasoned campaigner Todd Prestage (Werri). Todd was convincing and secured the heat by a 1.83 margin not much but enough to put a chink in North Shores armour with an unwanted 2nd place.
Next important heat on the cards saw Shane Bevan for Snapper make light work of his heat, scoring convincingly from Issac Buckley (Dee Why), Joe Hudson (Le-Ba) and James Brydon (Palm Beach), and by doing so edging Snapper closer to the leaders but it would be heat fifty five later on in the day where Jay Phillips is set to meet CT surfer Bede Durbridge (Point Lookout) that would make or break Snappers chances.
As the day progressed, Asher Pacey (Kirra) and Sam Chell (Avoca) met and the Kirra Club knew if anybody was to have a serious crack at Asher it would be Sam, and on top of that the Avoca boys knew that Sam was equal to the task.
Sam produced a 7.17 whilst Asher produced a 6.17 then Sam popped a 6.0 leaving Asher the arduous task of playing catch up, then it came late in the heat Asher pulling out an 8.0 to win by one point and give the Kirra club six wins and one x 2nd with North Shore on five wins and two x 2nds.
Curl Curl hit back with Ross Castel posting a win, which followed with heat fifty five, Bede Durbridge (Point Lookout) claimed Jay Phillips (Snapper) with Jay eventually having to dig deep requiring a 9.64 to take the lead. That did not happen and Snapper came away with a 2nd placing although it did not help Point Lookout’s chances but it certainly did not give Snapper the result they so dearly wanted. In that same heat Avoca walked away with a 3rd from Brendan Black now leaving Avoca out of any chance of winning.
Drawing to the close of the event, Kirra and North Shore were the only two clubs left in contention to take the title with Kirra on six wins and one x 2nd, North Shore on five wins and two x 2nds. Corey Ziems for Kirra was their last surfer and the ‘Coz’ turned it on putting paid to any doubt of his win and sealing the deal for Kirra taking them to seven wins and one x 2nd. Matt Clark for North Shore won his heat giving his club six wins and two x 2nds.
Not since 1994 (fourteen years ago) Kirra (the host club) won the title and in doing so in 2008 now holds the title of the highest placing’s, surpassing last years champions Le-Ba.
Placing’s
1st Kirra 7 wins 1 x 2nd
2nd North Shore 6 wins 2 x 2nds
3rd Snapper Rocks 5 wins 2x 2nds and 1 x 3rd
4th Alley 4 wins 4 x 2nds
2009 will be the 25th running of the Rip Curl Kirra Teams Challenge and promises to be huge.
Thankyou to all the clubs who ventured far and to the members of the Kirra Surfriders who worked tirelessly and to our sponsors for without their continued support this event would not be made possible.
See you next year at the “World’s largest inter-club surfing teams event”.
Author: John Robin :)
